Huanchaco is a sleepy little coastal town located on the outskirts of Trujillo, it’s larger and more industrialised neighbour. Like the countryside surrounding it, Huanchaco is a pale dusty place a bit like Ica. It owes its existence to one of the many small river valleys that bring life to this part of the world. […]
Author Archives: Nico
Everything you Need to Know and Arrange to Climb Mount Merapi
Tired, hot, dusty and smelling like an animal that had been dead for a week I hobbled slowly down the slope to the car park after having climbed Mount Merapi volcano, Indonesia’s most active volcano. Far from feeling like an all-conquering hero, all I wanted were some simple home comforts; a hot shower, a change […]
Cargo Cults; Bronze Age Islanders Meet GI Joe
As the tide turned in World War Two, the US went on the offensive against the Japanese in the Pacific and inadvertently spawned a new religion, cargo cults. So how did this happen? Well Air superiority was key to winning the war in the Pacific, so US forces quickly established airbases on Pacific islands like Papua. The airfields […]
Why Budget Airlines Cost You More Money
If you’re strapped for cash budget airlines are a godsend, especially if you find the best comparison sites. At least that’s what I thought before I started using them regularly, then I realised that more often than not these airlines actually end up costing you money. From the very start budget airlines charge you for […]
Case Solved: Can You Shoot a Cow in Cambodia?
“Honestly, in Cambodia you can shoot a cow with a rocket launcher for $200.” It would be almost ten years from the first time I heard this story until I solved the case. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you’ve never heard about the greatest travel myth in South East Asia; can […]
An Unbeatable City Guide to Jakarta
It is such a big city that it can be hard to know where to start when exploring Jakarta, a city affectionally known as the “Big Durian.” this bustling metropolis has a population far in excess of the official census figure of 10 million. My personal bet is the city has a working population of […]
Pulau Seribu: The Best Weekend Escape from Jakarta
If you’re stuck in Jakarta and Jakarta nightlife is getting too much for you then Pulau Seribu is the place to go to. Although there are only about 150 of them, the thousand Islands as they are known offer some much needed sunshine and relaxation away from the city smog. These chain of islands are just […]
Three Fatal Mistakes to Avoid When Learning a New Language
I’ve always enjoyed learning a new language. Whenever I travel to a new country I try and pick up a few moments, but I have a problem; after the years in Indonesia I can’t speak the language. Right now in fact I’m sitting at home trying to read an Indonesian newspaper. It should be a […]
Singapore: A Millionaire’s Paradise
Singapore recently topped the list of cities with the most millionaires this year, beating Geneva and Zurich that have been exchanging the prize between themselves for the best part of the last decade. This is a sure sign that the capital in the world is slowly moving East. You can understand why the rich are […]
Borobudur and Prambanan: A Temple Tour
Prambanan temple and Borobudur temple are two of the highlights of Yogyakarta. The temples offer a glimpse into Indonesia’s past and the regions that have influenced the region so much, both culturally and economically. The two temples located near Yogyakarta tell a tale of East meeting West, but not the traditional story of Europe in […]